Coco Gauff’s Adjustment Step Drills for Footwork Mastery

Key Points

• Work on using small and fast adjustment steps before you hit the ball
• Whether you’re slowing down to hit a ball or pushing off to chase a ball, you need fast adjustment steps
• If you can use fast “stutter” steps and still have the ability to stay balanced and hit the ball, you’re on your way to becoming a professional tennis player
• Drill 1: Inside out forehand and running forehand, using fast adjustment steps before each shot
• Drill 2: Place a cone just inside the baseline and have the player move forward and hit short forehands and backhands, shuffling back and around the cone after each shot
• Drill 3: Alternate feeds to the forehand and backhand, with the player shuffling around and hitting backhands on the forehand side and forehands on the backhand side
• Continue to take fast steps right up until it’s time to adjust and hit the ball
• If your fast steps stop too early, you can get stuck in 1 spot and lose energy
• “Move your feet right into the hit”
• Your footwork needs to coordinate with the timing of the ball
• Use adjustment steps and fast feet to create space so you can time the ball correctly and hit with power
• Coco Gauff would spend 30 to 45 minutes per day working on these adjustment step drills